Betta Spawn Log : BSL20180507 : HMPK Koi Red (M) x HMPK Koi Red (M)

This is the continuity to the failed breeding project of BSL20180328. For this breeding project, the same female was paired up with the newly bought male Betta. We were a bit reluctant to mate this pair as the female Betta was older and a bit larger than the male Betta. Past experiences have shown us that mismatch body size between the pair where the female is larger than the male may not work. The male Betta may get bullied by the female Betta.

Even after several months this young male Betta with us, it's still still quite wary of human interaction. When we placed it next to the female Betta, it have shown some interests and started to making bubble nest.

Since the last breeding project in March, the female have been quarantined for two months. It's now more active and curious and we noticed the female Betta was ready to mate as its stomach was full with eggs.

Log Notes
2015-05-07
We monitored it for a while but didn't find the female Betta was interested with mating. The female Betta was older and size-wise, is quite similar and larger than the male Betta. Both were flaring with each other.

2018-05-08
We assumed the pair have mated on this day.

2018-05-10
To our surprised, we noticed some fry were swimming vertically and didn't realized that the pair have already mated. Immediately, we removed the female Betta and put into quarantine tank. As usual, the male Betta was busy collecting the fallen fry and relocated it back to the bubble nest.

2018-05-12
These fry start to swim freely and we've started to feed Baby Brine Shrimp (BBS). To our surprised again, this spawn is probably one of our largest spawn, roughly around 200 to 300. We were wondering how many would survive for the coming weeks? We're tempted to remove the male Betta but decided to keep the male Betta in the spawning tank. Let's hope the male Betta will not eat up all the little fry.

2018-05-15
The number of fry in the breeding tank still maintain. The male Betta still leave them aside. We were discussing on whether to take out the male Betta so we can have a spawn of 200 till 300. In the end, we decided to keep the male Betta so it can curl those unhealthy fry till a average number of 40-plus fishes. Too soon to tell, it will end up that the male Betta wipe out the whole spawn.

2018-05-17
Yup, as we predicted, the population of the fry have been reduced by 70%. Not much left within the breeding tank. Maybe we should proceed with different breeding method by removing the male Betta by the time the fry already started swimming freely.

2018-05-20
We can't find more fry except maybe one. Therefore, we've decided to move the male Betta into a quarantine tank and left the breeding tank as it's before wrapping it up.

2018-05-23
It seemed we made a mistake. Most of the fry where hiding within the aquarium plant. We've decided to extract and move them to different breeding tank. A total of 83 fry were captured and moved.

2018-05-25
Found even more fry in the existing tank. Total count was 107. It's very hard to find and see any fry if they are too small and body were transparent.

Introspection
1/ Not every male Betta is suitable for leaving fry with father method. Mostly likely it will eat up all the fry due to stress. Main cause of the stress was due to the breeding tank was a clear tank instead of the covered box.

2/ For future spawning project, out discussion lead us to use different breeding method. We will extract the male Betta once the fry start to swim freely.

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